Nitro-starch explosive.



FIPYQOQ UNrT D STATES PATENT "OFFICE,

NITRO STARQ H EXPLOSIVE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application files Jul 13,1007. Serial No. 384,306.

Be it known that 1, Insert B. BRAUNS'IEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in Allentown, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Nitro- Starch Explosives, of which the following is a specifi- My inventionrelates in general to the manufacture of nitrated carbohydrates for use as explosive bases and its specific object is to produce for such purpose a stable and economical nitro-starch.

l Nitro-starch is .well known to be a powerful explosive, but its commercial use heretofore has been small owing to its instability as ordinarliy made and its high for rendering it stable. I have discovered, however,

1 a treatment which is inexpensive and at the same time results in satisfactory stability of the resulting .explosive .base.

The nitro-starch-may be prepared by any of the known methods but preferably by one which will give 2 the product as much inherent stability as possible, be-

fore the stabilizing agent is added. I have successfully used as an acid mixture 33 to 36% nitric acid, 63

- to (57% sulfuric acid and 3 to 4 water, adding lweight of the starch to 4 oithe acid mixture. The nitrated 2 product is washed in any suitable manner. water and weak solution of ammonia accomplishing the object satisfactorily. I Y I 'lo nitro-starch properly prepared is added a suitable quantity of-soda (Na CO and the nitro-starch and soda are then thoroughly mixed in any convenient manner.

The preferred proportions of the ingredients referred to are 5 parts soda to 95 of nitro-starch, but from 2 to 10% of soda .can be used with good results, and slightly larger proportions of soda may be used under some conditions. It is evident, however that too large a quantity of soda will have the effect of decreasing the explosive power of the mixture.

- i5 given weight. of powder. A common moderating agent or dope for-such purpose is, for example, nitrate of soda (NaNO A particularly good agent for the purpose I have found in finely divided metal, such, for example, as iron filings, preferably of a grade such as will pass through a forty mesh screen. Where the three ingredients, nitro-starch, soda and finely divided metal are used, the proportions of nitro-starch will vary from 30 to 70% of the entire mixture, the balance being made up of soda-and finely divided metal, the quantity of soda being, as before stated, preferably from 2 01092 by weight of the amount of nitro-starch and soda. It is thus possible toproduce a series of blasting powders graded commercially as 30, 40, 50, and powders,

I that is to say, powders in which'the explosive agent, expense when made by methods heretofore proposed nitro-starch, constituted substantially 30, 40, 50, 60 60 and 70 of'the entire mixture.

The various ingredients are caused to be intimately intermixed in any .convenient manner, and if desired, a small percentage of a suitable oil for example cotton be added to give consistency I donot in this application claim broadly a mixture of nitro-starch with a moderating agent consisting of. finely divided metal, that being the subject of a copending application, Serial No. 376,003, filed May 27, 70

1. An explosive havingas the explosive base a mixture of nitro-starcb and soda, the latter being added in such proportion as to stabilize the nitro-starch in substantially 75 the manner described:

- 2. An explosive powder having as the explosive base a mixture of substantially 95 parts by weight of nitro-starch and 5 parts of soda.

3. An explosive powder having as the explosive base a mixture of nit1-o-starch and soda, the proportion of soda in,

a said mixture being approximately from 2 to 10%.

4. An explosive consisting of an intimate mixture of from 30 to 70% of nitro=starch and substantially TO to 30% of an added material consisting of finely divided iron and soda the proportion of soda being approximately 5% I i 'by weight of nitro-starch and soda. The lei-carbonate of sodium (NaIICO may be sub-' 0. An explosive consisting of an intimate mixture of from 30 to 70% of nitro-starch and substantially 70 to 30% of an added material consisting of finely divided iron and soda, the proportion of soda being approximately 2 to 10% by weight of nitro-starch and soda.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two lubscribing witnesses.

, JESSE B. BRAUNSTElN. Witnesses: 7

CHARLES H. HowsoN,

'Jos. H. KLEIN.

seed oil, say 1 1/27 by weight of the entire mixture, may 6 5 

